This is the first Interview School post, which will help educate you to be a competitive candidate when interviewing to become a midwife.

I haven't found this kind of support anywhere else online! Strong candidates that would make excellent midwives don't always have the interview skills to help them along.

This first post is on the essential midwifery interview questions every candidate should prepare answers for. These questions, or adaptations of them, will almost certainly be asked in your interview.

It's very helpful for people preparing for their entry to midwifery interview to see real interview questions, and example answers. It helps midwives in the making to put the interview in context and craft impressive, accurate and personal answers.

You should definitely know what you'd reply to these essential midwifery interview questions:

What is the role of a midwife?

Why do you want to be a midwife?

How will you cope with the pressure of training and being a midwife?

My Sample Answers:

1. What is the role of a midwife?

I find the role of a midwife really exciting - they are specialists in supporting childbearing women and their babies in the antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum periods. They do this in a holistic way and they act as 'professional friends' to assist their clients to fulfill their potential as new mothers.

They also have to know how to respond to emergencies, especially in labour and birth situations. They work with medical professionals and refer women that need medical input. They also work with lots of other professionals including social workers, anaesthetists, dieticians, and so on.

Some midwives specialise: for instance in pregnancy loss, care of vulnerable women, diabetes in pregnancy and so on.

2. Why do you want to be a midwife?

That's a really big questions to answer. I'm fascinated with pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period, including bonding and breastfeeding. These are topics that I think will always be fascinating to me. I have a lot of passion for these subjects and I believe it's sustainable passion as it's been going on for such a long time.

I also think midwives are onto something in the way they support women; it's not the sometimes parental care of medicine, it's about making them feel supported and empowered to be mothers, not doing it for them.

I'm also quite tough and enjoy being challenged. I work best when I'm under a little pressure and I want to get excited about something worthwhile, rather than working in an office or doing something just to make money.

3. How will you cope with the pressure of training and being a midwife?

That's a really hard question as I don't think you can know the answer in detail until you're engaged in the course. I have a great family and partner and they are very supportive, and understand the huge amount of time needed to train as a midwife. They are really happy I've found a career I'm so enthusiastic about.

I'm also a keen cyclist, and would continue to attend club rides, rides with friend to keep fit and healthy, and to have time out from midwifery to keep a good work/life balance.

I'd aim to have a network of midwives who knew what the job was like and its responsibilities to get advice and support!

Preparing your own answers to these essential midwifery interview questions should give you a really strong basis for your interview.

Hopefully, these sample answers will aid you to prepare your own responses and techniques - but please note reciting my answers will almost certainly be obvious and unconvincing! Your interviewers want to know about you - present yourself at your best, don't just offer a version of the responses here.

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to brush up on the 'Francis Report' as it's a hot topic in Midwifery Interviews at the moment.

Hi Anna, why don’t you come and join the Secret Community For Midwives In The Making, on Facebook? I’ll bet you anything you’ll find others who applied and it’s a really friendly and supportive group x

This is really helpful I am a mature aged Registered Nurse who has wanted to be a midwife since time began. I had an interview a few weeks ago for a paid position as this is the only way I can afford to do midwifery. I wasn’t successful. However have another interview tomorrow where there will be two of the same panel members. I am freaking out as I tend to waffle on.

Thanks so much. I’ve learnt a lot. Myself I have the passionof being a midwife fr a very long time. It even grew stronger when my big sis gave birth and I was the only person around to help from pregnancy through to childbirth.I enjoyed being a partly professional midwife. Now I’m getting myself enrolled in the midwifery institute. I have my interview scheduled on 8th June coming Wednesday. I pray it goes well with me. MIMIBART